Invest for growth in the West

WSROC has expressed concern that recent changes to Western Sydney’s projected growth will further increase the infrastructure backlog.

WSROC President, Clr Barry Calvert, said “The West welcomes growth, our evolution is defined by it. The challenge is to achieve growth by design and not by default.

“Currently, significant new development in Western Sydney is taking place where there is limited infrastructure or access to services. How will these communities grow in a vacuum? What will they become?

“The Government’s significant investment in health, and transport infrastructure across Western Sydney is to be commended, absolutely. But the sheer scale of the region - combined with prior decades of underinvestment - have resulted in precarious circumstances for such unprecedented population projections,” said Clr Calvert.

“While Western Sydney welcomes the opportunities that come with growth, WSROC’s concern is that liveability for current and future residents will be severely compromised if councils aren’t supported to deliver the local infrastructure and services communities expect and deserve.

“Community centres, libraries, parks, and swimming pools contribute significantly to quality of life, yet growth is far outstripping councils’ capacity to supply. This is amplified by the fact that some of our fastest-growing areas are also home to significant pockets of disadvantage.

Clr Calvert continued, “People depend on access to council libraries for access to internet and other resources, on swimming pools for relief from hot summers, and on community halls to host cultural and family events. Beyond infrastructure, these are the basics, for any community to grow and thrive.

“WSROC’s view is that the nation’s third largest economy, soon to be home to the largest proportion of Greater Sydney’s residents, warrants proportional and considered investment: not by default, by design.”